Listed are a compilation of quick news events that have occured over the last week (or will be happening soon) in the entertainment industry. Slice of SciFi New Briefs covers all aspects of SF, genre-related news, entertainment business, gaming, technology, real science and other interesting topics that all geeks like us love to know about.
Academy Award winning actor Ben Kingsley has joined the cast of “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” the new Jerry Bruckheimer film far Disney Pictures starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Kingsley will play the villain. Also in the cast are Gemma Arterton (“Quantum of Solace”) and Alfred Molina (“Spider Man 2″).
“NYPD Blue” and “Cane” star Jimmy Smits joins the cast of Showtime’s “Dexter” for 10 episodes in the new season starring as an overly ambitious assistant district attorney trying to make a name for himself.
The BBC will be adding a whole new lineup of channels that will be featured online for streaming video to its growing entertainment empire. However, they will only be viewable from the UK.
The fight between SAG and the AMPTP is not only heating up, the union representing actors is also feuding with fellow actor’s union AFTRA. Activist members of SAG have launched a boisterous campaign against ratifying AFTRA’s primetime deal and are calling for all its members, including the 44,000 who hold cards for both SAG and AFTRA to attend a major rally on Monday morning at the Hollywood SAG offices. The rally is designed to show support for the SAG negotiating team. Officially, SAG members have yet to decide if those in their union who also belong to AFTRA should be forced to not support the deal AFTRA made with producers two weeks ago. The SAG contract with the AMPTP ends on June 30.
Scribe Josh Zetumer (“Villain”) is in negotiations to write the latest big screen incarnation of “Dune,” Frank Herbert’s sprawling sci-fi epic, for Paramount Pictures.
Spider-Man director Sam Raimi told reporters that he’s waiting on a script for a fourth installment from writer James Vanderbilt (“Zodiac,” “The Rundown”) before deciding whether to direct the feature.
The 2-hr premiere of J.J. Abrams’ new SF show “Fringe” will happen on September 9, 2008 at 8/7C on Fox. The new show centers on a female FBI agent who is forced to work with an institutionalized scientists in order to rationalize a brewing storm of unexplained phenomena.
“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” will return to Fox on Monday, September 8 at its regular time of 8/7C.
DreamWorks Animation’s family feature “Kung Fu Panda,” which features the voices of two superstars — Jack Black and Angelina Jolie, and Adam Sandler’s Sony comedy “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan” will be vying for your laughs this weekend in theaters. Both films are poised to steal “Sex and the City’s” thunder and one of them is sure to replace that film in the number one slot.
Adam Sandler’s production company, “Happy Madison” — known for making comedy films, will be traveling down a different road in the upcoming months. Sandler will steer his company to take on more serious films, especially those based in the thriller genre. His first effort will be a suspense piece titled “Shortcut.” It revolves around two brothers who come upon a rarely used shortcut in their new town. When the path is taken they soon discover why it’s so rarely used. Andrew Seeley (“”The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”), Shannon Woodward (“The Riches”) and Dave Franco (“Greek”) will star in this Nicholaus Goosen directed movie.
And finally….The blond heroine of the much-loved TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” as well as other works by creator Joss Whedon, will be the focus of a three-day academic conference called SC3: Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses beginning Friday at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. About 90 academic papers are expected to be discussed at the conference. Whedon’s other works, such as “Firefly” and “Angel” will also be topics for debate and discussion, as well as his screenplay for the hit animated film “Toy Story.”
What will be the papers discussed? How about “Buffy and Feminism,” “Buffy and Identity,” “Gender Stereotypes and the Image of Domesticity in `Firefly,’” “`Firefly:’ The Illusive Safety of Big Damn Heroes,” and “Hero’s Journey, Heroine’s Return: Buffy, Eurydice and the Orpheus Myth,” just to name of few.
Damn, for the first time in my life, I wish I was going to Arkansas.
Those folks in Arkansas must not have much to study. There are 90 ACADEMIC PAPERS being presented? 90? Boy, this takes the idea of "publish or perish" to new levels of silliness.
Don't get me wrong. I love Josh's stuff. But seriously, an academic conference studying his work? Talk about taking all the fun out of something...
@Lisa: "Don’t get me wrong. I love Josh’s [sic] stuff. But seriously, an academic conference studying his work? Talk about taking all the fun out of something…"
I've read several papers along these lines, and they're quite good. And many of them *are* fun. Why is a television show less worthy of thoughtful literary criticism than a novel or a play? Over the last decade, Whedon and co. have produced some truly amazing shows full of social commentary and beautiful metaphors. As far as I'm concerned, delving into the deeper meaning is fun, because then I can see new things on subsequent viewings.
Also, the man's name is Joss. No 'h'.